In Billy Wilder’s penultimate film, the poignantly melancholic Fedora, a frustrated producer (William Holden) tries to coax a reclusive, seemingly ageless actress (Marthe Keller) out of retirement for one last role. A bookend to Wilder’s own Sunset Boulevard (also starring Holden), Fedorais a unique, sympathetic work from the aging director, featuring elegant performances, understated mystery and a beautiful Greek island locale. Neglected and barely-released in 1978, Fedora has since found a passionate fanbase and critical reappraisal.
“A shamefully underrated film, Fedora is Wilder’s testament and one of the most sublime achievements of the ’70s.” – Time Out
“Old-fashioned with a vengeance, a proud, passionate remembrance ofthe way movies used to be, and a bitter smile at what they have become. It is rich, majestic, very close to ridiculous, and also a little bit mad. It seems exactly what Mr. Wilder wants it to be, perfectly self-contained and filled with the echoes of a lifetime; no one could mistake this for the work of a young man. Indeed, it has the resonance of an epitaph. That, too, seems a part of Mr. Wilder’s design… The compactness and symmetry evident in Fedora aren’t easily achieved these days without a good deal of self-consciousness. Mr. Wilder achieves them naturally.” – Janet Maslin, NewYork Times
